Cöwboys From Hell
by Lit. Metalhead
Summary: The Land of Metal enters a temporary calm until it gets invaded by Razor Bats, Creatures not of this land. So Ironheade is forced to rely on a group of specialists: The Cowboys From Hell. In memory of "Dimebag" Darrel.
1. We can't stop here, this is Bat Country!

**Well, Here I am. I've been part of this site for almost 6 months and this is my first story. Note that this is my first attempt at really writing for anything. So, in your reviews, be honest but don't be cruel.**

**Notes:**

**1. You probably guessed from the title, that this is gonna include some special guest in the form of a hard-ass Groove Metal band from Texas. Well, I made this because I was surpised and dissapointed of the lack of Pantera in Brutal Legend. So I made this.**

**2. Now I read the rules that said I can't have an actual person in this story or any story. Well, I intend on bending the characters I made so they won't look exactly like them.** **Anything that resembles a person, alive or dead, that is not intended, is solely coincidental.**

**3. I'm a die-hard Metalhead and this is Brutal Legend. Bonus points to who can find references.**

**4. In memory of "Dimebag" Darrel Abbot, 1966-2004. I'm praying that what I'm writing won't insult him, his legacy, or Pantera. Let me know if anything is offensive towards them and I will remove it.**

* * *

**Cowboys from Hell**

**Chapter 1**

**We can't stop here, this is Bat Country!**

The ride through the tunnel to the center of the world is always tough, even after Eddie Riggs had done it almost 50 times. Stalagmites, stalagmites and ruins of Ormagoden knows what sticking out of the ground always ended up scratching and knocking off parts of the Druid Plow, which the Guardian of Metal does NOT like. He cherished that dang car like it was his baby, or whatever someone like him might love.

Eddie remembered when he returned the car to the Forge after the adrenaline-pumping escape from Lionwhyte's Pleasure Palace when the Bleeding Deaths invaded. He was sort of afraid to see his reaction, and for good reason. Scratches everywhere, parts missing, pieces of rubble in the torn-up leather seats, blood on the bumper; Eddie held onto his axe and Clemetine should the Guardian get a little too fucking hostile. Fortunatly, the Guardian was pretty mellow that day, but still a bit pissed. He gave Eddie a half-hour speech about how he should "respect the gifts from the Metal Gods and take car of his car" and all that crap. Technically it was the Bleeding Death's fault.

Gods, he didn't need to remember that thing or, for that matter, that time. Lars being slain by that bastard Doviculus, driving like a maniac through all the fire, flames, explosions and falling structers, seeing Lionwhytes (and possibly his own) men being ruthlessly torn apart and crushed by those things and falling buildings, leaving Ophelia behind with a broken heart...

He immediatly recaptured his mind when he found himself driving down the steep slope on the way to the core of the Metal world. Slamming the brakes in an effort not to drive into the lava, the car slowed and Eddie leapt out, and waited for the Guardian.

He showed in a few minutes, which was unusual because he normally showed directly when Eddie appeared. After brushing the coal off his robe, he finally spoke.

"Sorry 'bout that. Emperor Bondage shook up the Underworld when he played the riff to summon that Abomination Overdrive fuck-up. We've been cleaning up this shithole for days."

"We?" Eddie asked.

"Me and the Titans that chose to stay behind while the others became Gods, like that guy over there." He pointed to the gigantic human-shaped figure pounding away at the sword on the anvil. The Titan looked at them and waved, which caught Eddie by surprise. Irregardless, he waved back, but kind of weird for doing it.

"Now what are you doing 'ere? You can't buy more shit. I'm sold out. So what do ya want?" The Guardian impatiently asked.

"Just for a check-up. The car's been making a weird-ass sound. Thought you could look at it."

The Guardian appeared beside the car and snapped his rubber gloves... wait, where did he get those?

"I'll see what I can do." He slid under the hotrod and tinkered with it, making a whole bunch of sounds of concern and acknowledgement. Eddie sat for a bit, and stood when the Guardian popped his head up the side.

"And.... here in lies the problem." He said before holding up something that made Eddie gasp and jump back in fear: A decapitated head of a Drowing Doom Grave Digger.

"You gotta be careful on what you run over." The Guardian of Metal then said, "You never know when some chopped off arm, leg or head might get jammed in your parts." He then threw the head into the lava and paid no attention to the splash that appeared behind him.

"Thanks, man. I apperciate it. I should probably head up." Eddie said as he climbed back into the car.

"Don't mention it." He turned around and prepared to jump back into the lava. "Just make sure you—" The Guardian suddenly stopped when he felt a sharp pain in his head.

"What's wrong?"

"I sense a disturbance in the Land of Metal."

Eddie could not figure out what could be wrong. The Drowing Doom were all but gone, and the Tainted Coil were being kept at bay.

"Tainted Coil?" Eddie asked.

"Nope."

"Drowning Doom?"

"Nuh-uh."

"A really pissed-off tourist?"

"Close, but no. It is foreign. Not of this land."

"What should I do?"

"Get off your lazy ass and go look at it!" The Guardian yelled.

"All right." Eddie said as he held his hands in front of him, to show calm the Guardian down. "I'll be back."

"Right. Have fun." Eddie waved as he drove to the surface. "Glad that's over." He leaped into the lava.

"SHARON?! WHERE'S MY BEER?!


	2. Here Comes The Razor's Edge!

**So yeah, here's Ch. 2. If it took longer than expected, I apologize. Motivation has always been hard for me, and so has school work. So, don't be surprised if I don't live up to release expectations. Just be patient. **

**This chapter is just non-stop action. Don't worry, the Cowboys will appear in either 3 or 4.**

**Cowboys From Hell**

Chapter 2

Here Comes the Razor's Edge!

Getting back to Ironheade was Eddie's first and foremost priority. Eddie couldn't bear the thought of Ironheade falling, Lars' Legacy being destroyed. He shook the thoughts out of his head.

"What am I thinking? Ironheade's too fucking tough." Eddie said confidently.

He reached the Main Road that lead from Lionwhyte's front door to… no idea. The road ended there, crumbled into the sea. Eddie often wondered where that road lead before it fell apart. Were there other Metal lands like this?

Eddie's train of thought was de-railed right of the track when he saw something in the sky.

Bats.

So many fucking Bats.

They practically covered the sky in flight. Eddie, despite slaying foes such as Lionwhyte, Doviculus, and the Abomination Overdrive; could not help but shiver when he saw them. What got him the most were their wings.

They weren't wings at all. They were razorblades.

At first, Eddie was amazed by them. The Metal world really had a lot to offer in terms of creativity. Sometimes, Eddie loved taking in the fantastic sights of this place, like the Stone Cross, a memorial created by the Metal Gods to honor the fallen warriors of the First Black Tear Rebellion, the Old Metalhead of the Mountain (Which the Killmaster used as a lair now) and the Metal Valkyries, the first all-girl Metal band, in the Razor Fields.

Damn, Eddie's got to learn to stay focused. He put his foot the floor and drove to desert in front of Lionwhyte's front door. When he arrived, he saw his men (and women and whatever those Bouncers are. He always thought they were males, until he saw their perfectly manicured hands) being torn to shreds by the bats. Eddie, being a hero and friend to the little guy, leapt out of his car and prepared to slice a bat in half.

"HERE COMES THE RAZOR'S EDGE, YOU FUCKER!" He screamed to high heaven as he sliced a bat prepared to kill an unaware bouncer in half. Blood splashed on Eddie's axe and face as he pulled one fucking awesome move. Damn, he should've videotaped that.

"Uhhh… Thanks, Mr. Riggs. I owe you one." The big brute said.

"No, you don't. Helping you guys is just natural to me. So what's the problem here?"

The Bouncer struggled a bit with his words before speaking, which they tended to do a lot. Eddie felt kind of bad for him. A Razor girl told him that Bouncers didn't get any education during their job so they wouldn't get smart enough to wonder why they were following orders. Razor Girls didn't have that problem. They were fairly well educated, but they were forced to "pleasure" Lionwhyte so they would get some kind of education. Bastard. Ironically, they sided with Ironheade because they felt like they had to follow Lars' orders. Thankfully, they're starting to get their own free will.

"These… bats came out of nowhere and started attacking us for no reason. They already slaughtered half the convoy. "

"Hmmm… there's gotta be a way to take all these things out at…. Oh, yeah, I forgot about that."

"What?" The curious bouncer said.

"I learned a new solo a bit ago. I've been saving it for a time like this." Eddie then noticed a Roadie near him struggling to fend off the bats. "Hang on, man. HEY, ROADIE!"

The Roadie turned in surprise.

"I have a name, you know! It's Ernie!" The Roadie, also known as Ernie, yelled annoyingly.

"Sorry… Ernie. Give me a hand?" The Roadie nodded in approval. Eddie then turned to the Bouncer. "Give me a boost?"

The Bouncer lowered his hand and Eddie climbed on it. The Bouncer then lifted his hand quickly, causing Eddie to fly to the top of Ernie's amp. Eddie then pulled out Clementine and prepared to play.

"Get ready, you fucking bats, 'cause you're about to get……. THUNDERSTRUCK!!"

Eddie then played a ripping solo at high speed. **(A/N: Think of the riff for Thunderstruck by AC/DC)** The sound was amplified to a deafening pitch by Ernie's Amp. The Head Bangers, Razor Girls, and Bouncers at first admired the music. Head Bangers banged their heads to an almost universal beat, Bouncers beat their oversized fists on the ground for percussion effect, and everyone else cheered to the noise. Everyone then noticed something. Gray clouds were forming in the sky, followed by rain…. then thunder and lightning. Pretty soon it became it became a full-on storm. The storm seemed to be for show, and then Eddie grabbed his whammy bar and jerked it with full force.

In the sky, a cyclone formed, then out came one of the biggest lightning bolts any of them have ever seen. The bolt traveled along the metal bats like a grid, killing them all in one massive chain blast. Charcoaled bat corpses fell out of the sky and crashed to the ground.

Eddie finished his solo with passion, and then jumped to the ground, holding the Sign of the Horns which was always a habit for him.

Everyone cheered at Eddie and copied his Devil Horns. Seconds later, the Bouncer spoke.

"That was awesome, Mr. Riggs!" He raised his over-sized hand for a very high fiver, but not too high for Eddie.

"Just another day in the office, man." He stopped to look at a fried corpse of a bat with curiosity on his face.

"Uhh… Mr. Riggs?" The Bouncer spoke, reading Eddie's face.

"Wish I knew what these things are." Eddie finally said. Time past before the Bouncer started to talk.

"You know, Mr. Riggs, when I worked with Lionwhyte, I did a lot of traveling." The Bouncer looked towards the horizon. "I went to many interesting places."

"Yeah?"

"One place I remember is Groovetal, a huge dusty desert full of outlaws. They were famous for two things: Their gangs and their animals."

"You think these bats came from there?"

The Bouncer shrugged his shoulders, which told Eddie all he needed to know.

"All right, I'm heading out. Good job, man. Round up the rest of the convoy."

Eddie drove off to Ironheade, leaving the Bouncer to clean up the show. For a second, the Bouncer felt just like a roadie.

-------

**As an experiment and to keep the Brutal feel, I think I might try to put AN's to tell you what song to think of or listen to during a certain scene. Metal, of course. Let me know if you think I should try it. So, please review and thank you for reading.**


	3. “You need a Specialist…”

**Here's chapter 3, A.K.A the test drive of the song player similar to Brutal Legend. I recommend you listen to said song when it appears. Ch. 4 should be the first appearance of the Cowboys. **

**Sorry if I keep you waiting for them. I need a good story build-up. And, honestly, I'm still perfecting them so I won't screw them up. Plus, I'm still working on perfecting the song idea, which is actually a harder idea than you might think. You got to time events and think of songs, and I only know a few bands compared to the games soundtrack. **

**A warning to all you flamer fuckers: I'm going to include bands that you may not like, like DragonForce and Avenged Sevenfold, both of which I'm big fans of. They are Metal so get the fuck over it. Don't worry; they won't be the only bands I'll use. I may also include Hard Rock songs, like Guns 'N Roses and AC/DC. I'll post this warning in the next chapter, too.**

**Okay, enough talking and on to the story. Enjoy or die.**

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

**Cowboys From Hell**

Chapter 3

"You need a Specialist…."

The Great Stone Sword of Ironheade could be seen for miles, even in the fog, rain, or meteor shower. To many, it has become a symbol of hope, salvation and free beer. To Eddie, though, it was a symbol that his car, pimped up as it was, was too damn slow. Filled with worry, the Ironheade plains seemed to go on forever. Anything could be going one at Ironheade with him not being there. The fucking bats could be cutting up his army, Mangus, Lita, Ophelia….

Eddie's fears were put to rest when he reached the landmark and saw Mangus standing outside, arms crossed.

"There you are, Eddie. Where've you been?" Mangus exclaimed, his voice a mix of relief and annoyance.

"Ran into a pest problem on the way here." Eddie said casually.

"You too? Man, these damn bats keep popping up everywhere. We're barely holding them off here. Our Infirmaries are chock full of wounded. We may have to move somewhere else."

"Keep that in mind. We'll use that as a last resort, but now let's tend to the wounded and mount up to fend them off."

"Man, isn't this weird?" Mangus said in a way that would make you think he was a high as Jimi Hendrix, "Bats coming out of the sky, killing everyone. It's like a sign of the apocalypse."

Eddie, not sure what he just heard, stared at Mangus, who chuckled nervously.

"Shall we head in?" He awkwardly said.

They walked in to find people running about everywhere. Thunderhogs were riding in with wounded in the back, which were then carried to tents. Eddie then saw his band mates Ophelia, Lita and another familiar face he hadn't seen in a while, Rima.

**(A/N: Okay here's the first attempt. A song from my top favorite band for one of the, in my opinion, sexiest characters in the game, Rima. Song: Looks That Kill by ****Mötley Crüe****)**

"Hey, guys." Eddie said, then looking at Rima. "Rima, what're you doing here?"

"Hello, Son of Riggnarok," she said in a calm voice while bowing. She hasn't changed much since the last time Eddie saw her, during the Fall of Diviculous. He had not seen her then, as she decided not to show up at the after party. She wore her fierce looking but still stylish (and as Eddie thought sometimes: pretty damn sexy) leather jungle outfit, complete with a Laser Panther pelt as a hat/cape and a staff with the claw of a Metal Beast as the blade. Man, if Eddie wasn't dating Ophelia right now, would have defiantly tried to date Rima. Eddie, along with many others, however was a bit afraid of the Valley Girl. Even the Baron, leader of one the most feared group of outlaws, proceeded to "hit and quit it."

"I am here on a request for assistance. These… monstrosities are tearing my jungle apart and are tearing my—" she was interrupted when a Headbanger wearing scrubs and a face mask (Which Eddie found downright adorable) walked out of the tent. He didn't say anything, but looked at Rima and nodded his head left and right sadly. Rima then looked to the ground and had a look of utter sorrow on her face. Mangus and Ophelia put their hands on her shoulders in sympathy. Surprisingly, she didn't shrug them off.

"Sorry, love." A familiar heavy-accented voice sounded. Eddie looked to see the Killmaster, a good ally of Ironheade and a good friend of Eddie, standing at the tent's door. "We did all we could, but she lost too much blood. We sedated her, though, so she went out painlessly." The Killmaster said in hopes that it would ease her pain, if not a bit. It didn't seem to though.

"I don't blame you." She said almost monotone-ish, without looking up. "What I do blame are these damned bats!" She growled.

"Don't worry, Rima. We'll take care of these mother-fucking bats if it kills us… which I hope it doesn't, 'cause that would kind of kill the point of killing them." Eddie said without thinking. The death-glare he got from Rima made him wish he'd learn to end his encouragement one sentence early.

"How are we going to do that, Eddie?" Lita spoke. "There are too many to kill at once, and they're too tough to kill one at a time. You're probably not gonna get away with using another Thunderstruck."

"First, we need to find their weaknesses, and I have a feeling I know who can help us out with that." Eddie turned for his car.

"Wait, Eddie." Ophelia proclaimed. "I'm coming with you."

"But, you should stay here and—"

She put her finger in his lips, "No, even you won't last if you get swarmed. You need all the help you can get." She took her finger off and pointed at the car. "Plus, I hardly ever get to ride in this thing."

"Fine," Eddie gave in, "let's go."

They hopped in and Eddie floored it, driving off.

"So, where're we going?" Ophelia asked.

"To the center of the planet." Eddie said without taking his eyes of the road.

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

Eddie drove through the ever-familiar tunnel to the Motorforge. He wondered how the Guardian would react to his sudden reappearance, and even worst, his reaction to seeing Ophelia.

They reached the center and hopped out of the Hot Rod. The Guardian appeared immediately, as he usually did.

"You again? What the fuck do you--?" The Guardian took a look at the attractive women at Eddie's side. "Oh, and who is this lovely bird?"

"Ophelia. Uhh, who are--?" The confused girl was interrupted when she then found the Guardian of Metal behind her. He grabbed her hand and bowed.

"I, my dear, am the all-and-ever powerful Guardian of Metal; keeper of timeless secrets, loyal warrior and sorcerer of the Metal Gods…" he kissed the top of Ophelia's hand, "… and sexiest man alive." Ophelia could not help but be flattered but kind of creeped out by the strange man.

"Uhh, dude? She's dating someone." Eddie chimed in.

"What? Who?" He stood and looked at Ophelia, "' 'cause I can tell you right now he nowhere as good-looking as me. I mean, what's he got that I don't?"

"A guitar and an axe he's not afraid to use?" Eddie said with a sly smile on his face. The guardian looked at Eddie and his eyes widened behind his glasses.

"Oh. Fuck." He muttered. He then looked at Ophelia. "I think we should see other people." He said nervously, then stepped back. Ophelia was so confused. The Guardian spoke after clearing his throat, "So why are you back so soon?" He looked at the lava, hoping his well-meaning but over-protective wife wasn't listening to the conversation. "Did you bring any beer?"

"No, I didn't." Eddie spoke as he leaned into his car. "And even if I did, it would've been destroyed…" he pulled something out, "…by this." He held a corpse of a bat in front of the Guardian, who leapt back in shock.

"Holy—" he lost his footing and stumbled backwards, eventually falling off the ledge in to the lava, screaming.

"Fuck!" was all Eddie and Ophelia heard fading away. They carefully walked to the edge, look over it showing (in Ophelia's case: shock/confusion and Eddie's case: Fear) on their faces as a splash was made.

"Oh, shit." Was all Eddie could mutter. He forgot one thing, though: The Guardian was immune to lava.

They then watched as a blast of lava flew over their heads. Eddie felt such relief as the Guardian appeared out of it. He brushed the soot of his robe.

"It would've been nice if you warned me." The annoyed Guardian said.

Eddie chuckled nervously. "Sorry, dude. So… do you know what these are?" He raised the bat slowly, hoping not to scare the Guardian again.

"Duh, I'm the Guardian of fucking Metal! I know everything!" He took a look at the creature and studied it for a minute. Finally, he spoke. "It's a Razor Bat."

The two lovers stared at the Guardian. Finally, Ophelia spoke.

"I could've told you that."

"Well, then why'd you ask me for help, since you clearly don't need it." The sarcastic Guardian replied.

"We need their weakness." The roadie said.

"Ah, they are tough little fucks. I should know," he stood a proud stance, " I killed like 500 of them."

"Oh," Eddie exclaimed, "then can you do it again?" He asked relieved.

"NONONONONOnononono!" The Guardian exclaimed a little too quickly, eyes wide and hands waving in front of him. "Those things are fucking nasty, man! Here look at this." He turned around and lifted the back of his robe, revealing like a hundred scars on his back. Eddie and Ophelia stared in shock, but not because of the scars. The Guardian failed to mention something….

"Dude… why are you wearing a thong?" Eddie vacantly asked.

The Guardian looked up and turned around, dropping his robe.

"It's a work-out thong. A bod like this doesn't come easy, you know?"

"What?" Ophelia spoke after a while. "Sorry, I guess I spaced out."

"It happens." The Guardian spoke nonchalantly . "Anyway, about those bats. Only someone from their land, Groovetal, will know how to deal with them." He looked at Eddie, "You need a specialist." He said dead serious.

The Bouncer was right. They did come from Groovetal. "What kind of specialist?"

"Might I recommend…" The Guardian raised his finger and twirled it, as if imitating a spinning lasso, "…The Cowboys From Hell?"

"All right, how do we reach them?" Eddie asked.

"Talk to that Baron guy. After all, he used to work with them."

Eddie remembered the Baron, the tough, bad-ass leader of the Fire Barons, and their usual hangout: where they took shelter after being driven away by Diviculous. They tore down the stage but they left the area as it was for them.

"All right, we'll get on it. Come on, Ophelia…. Ophelia?" Ophelia spaced out again, thinking scarring thoughts of the Guardian's thong.

"Wha…?" she said pretty vacant of emotion.

Eddie carried her bridal style to the car and put her in. "Don't worry, you'll forget about it someday." Eddie hopped in and prepared to drive off. "Take care, Guardian." He waved.

"Kick some ass, man." He said raising the Devil Horns. He turned, and prepared to dive in… when he noticed a trail of lava above him. Out of the lava next to him appeared… Sharon, the Wife of the Guardian of Metal.

"I assume they didn't bring any beer?" She said in a gentle but all the more commanding voice.

"Uhh… no?" The Guardian said using the same kind of cautiousness used for walking through a minefield. "You heard the conversation?"

"Maybe I did." She said, arms crossed. "Why don't you ask that little "bird," O, all-and-ever powerful Guardian of Metal?"

"Oh, fuck." Was all the Guardian could say, for he realized that he was truly, utterly and absolutely….. screwed.

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

**Not even the all-and-ever powerful Guardian of Metal can endure the wrath of Sharon. Poor guy. Thanks for reading, and let me see opinions of the song player. The 4****th**** chapter should feature the Cowboys. Until then, SHARON!**


	4. “You see us coming and you…

**Ch.4 is here. This will be the first appearance of the Cowboys. I'm tired of putting them off. It's now or never.**

**A warning to all you flamer fuckers about the "song player:" I'm going to include bands that you may not like, like DragonForce and Avenged Sevenfold, both of which I'm big fans of. They are Metal so get the fuck over it. Don't worry; they won't be the only bands I'll use. I may also include Hard Rock songs, like Guns 'N Roses and AC/DC. I'll post this warning in the next chapter, too.**

**Enjoy or die. And please review. Finding motivation is hard enough.**

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

**Cowboys From Hell**

**Chapter 4**

"**You see us coming and you…**

In the freezing cold of the Land of the Ice and Snow just north of the Metal land and west of the Jungle, life is few and far between. However, a few fearsome creatures such as the Hexagon and, more recently, the Razor Bat have made appearances rarely. Point of interest, however, lies with the immigrants of a faraway land: The Fire Barons. Known as being one of the most fearsome groups of outlaws, aside from the Cowboys and the Beautiful People **(A/N: Which is a story for another day), **The Fire Barons are hell bent on pillaging and destruction or, rather, used to be. After joining Ironheade, they put those times behind them, although the traditional "burning stuff to the ground" is still alive and well.

The Baron, fearless yet fearsome leader of the Fire Barons, and his mates have relocated from the Black Tear country to the remains of Ironheade's former stage/hidden base. They took down the stage, but what was the point of taking down the base? It was the next best thing to home the Barons had. Animal corpses strung about, bones as support for hastily built tents, and camp fires everywhere. It was perfect. The Baron has firmly made his rule that only Ironheade was allowed here, since they were the only people they trusted. But Ironheade rarely comes here, preferring to stay out of the cold. 'Wimps,' the Baron would think. Fire Barons never felt cold. Their fiery soul and their ability to manipulate fire always kept them warm. It also kept them full of delicious meat, like Razor Bats, for example.

"You were right, Baron. This is good." A fire baron said mouth full.

"Chewy, too." Another said.

**(A/N: The next song is for the toughest outlaw out there: The Baron. The song is Hellraiser by Motorhead. Ozzy Osbourne has a version, too. Whichever one you play is up to you.)**

"I told you guys," The Baron said, walking around after finishing his meal faster than the other 4. "Anything alive can be eaten." the Baron snapped his fingers, making a small spark. "You just have to know how to cook it."

The Baron, suddenly hungry for another Bat, sat down to eat one when he heard something in the distance: Engines roaring. The Baron could not mistake the sound of Eddie's Druid Plow, whose engine sounded like a roaring Metal Beast. The Tour Bus could also be heard. The Baron looked over yonder to see headlights in the distance, lighting up the valley.

"We got company, boys." The Baron said growling in his usual gruff voice. "Let's go greet them."

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

"We almost there, Eddie? The blizzard is making it hard to see the road." Eddie's walkie-talkie sounded from the bus behind Eddie.

"Hang on, Mangus. It should be up ahead." Eddie's assumption was correct, and they reached the field. Eddie hopped out of his car and started to walk towards the Fire Barons base when he noticed something in the air.

Fireballs, arched towards Eddie and his crew. Eddie had little time to react as he played a solo which created a large force field over him and the Bus.

"Why are they attacking us?!" Mangus' panicked voice sounded over the radio. "I thought we were allies!"

Eddie felt a bit of concern as well. Perhaps the Fire Barons didn't know it was them.

"BARON!" Eddie yelled. "IT'S IRONHEADE! STOP ATTACKING!" He hoped they would listen, but the fire balls kept coming. Eddie yelled into the radio, "Mangus, move the bus! I'll deal with them." Eddie said, hoping the last sentence would not come have to happen. Mangus attempted to move the bus. However, the sounds of engines roaring on the base's side stopped him. Two Fire Barons rode off the small cliff, grazed the bus' roof and landed on its side. Three more bikes appeared out of the blizzard riding towards Eddie, then circling him in a traditional biker style. Eddie, feeling a little apprehensive, pulled out his axe. The circling stopped, and the biker in front of him stepped off his bike. The Biker revealed himself as the Baron, and ominously walked towards Eddie with a wicked smile on his face. He stopped, his face inches away from Eddie's.

"You got a lot of nerve coming here, bub." The Baron said, maliciously sounding. Eddie kept his firm grip on his axe. The Baron took another step, and suddenly jolted into a fighting stance, which caused Eddie to do the same. The Baron then did something much unexpected.

He wrapped his arms around Eddie in a manly hug. Eddie stood there in utter shock. He, then, realized what was going on: The Barons were working with their sick sense of humor. He could hear the Baron laughing. After he calmed down, he spoke.

"Sorry for getting you guys so worked up. It's just been _so long_ since we've seen action." The Baron said, almost whining.

That made Eddie think of something. "Then you haven't seen the Bats?"

"No, we have. Nasty little fucks, they are. Almost took us out. But once they're dead, they taste so fucking good." Baron's mouth was watering by this point, but he regained his composure.

"So why are you here?" Baron said. "Tainted Coil invading again?"

"No." Although they were lucky that wasn't true," A little bat told me that you used to work with these guys called the Cowboys From Hell."

The Baron lost his grin, and sighed heavily.

"Oh, them."

"So you do?" Eddie asked.

"Did. They're history now." Eddie felt sudden concern.

"History? They're gone?"

"No, they're still around, or at least I've heard." The Baron looked at the tour bus. "Get your crue to park. Let's head in and I'll tell you the story." The Baron mounted his bike and head in the base.

"You heard 'em, Mangus." That being said, Mangus moved the bus, accidently running over a bike.

"Sorry." Mangus said nervously. He parked by the hill, and everyone hopped out.

"Everyone head up. Mangus, grab some beers. We're probably gonna be here a while."

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

The green moon was out as everyone gathered around the campfire as the Baron prepared to tell his tale of the Fire Barons and the Cowboys From Hell.

"Everyone cozy?"

"No." The Killmaster said, trying to get comfortable on a log.

"Well, tough shit. Anyway, the story goes a bit like this…"

**(Flashback. Roughly 2 ½ years ago)**

**(If you're not done with first song, don't worry about it. Song is Bat Country by Avenged Sevenfold. What? They're a metal band. I like them. You don't have to listen if you don't want to.)**

_A carriage full of guitar strings rolls though the desert plains. The driver is as nervous as shit. He hated going through here. This place was full of thieves, liars, murderers and highwaymen. He had to roll through as fast as possible._

_ His fear was confirmed when he heard a sound that sent chills down his spine: Motorcycle engines. He looked over his carriage to see motorcycles roaring across the plains like wild animals hunting their prey. In this case, the prey was an unfortunately slow carriage. He whipped his Armored Horses, praying they could go faster. The horses were no match for the bikes. The bikers rode to the side, Cowboys on the left and Barons on the right. The carriage driver had nowhere to go. He felt the carriage shake as fireballs and shotgun cartridges were shot at the wheels. After a few hits, the wheels snapped, sending the carriage into a mad spin across the plains. Parts went everywhere, the horses tumbled over each other and the unfortunate drive flew and crashed to the ground._

_ The highwaymen rolled up to the wreckage. The Baron walked up to the mess, scrounged through and pulled out the strings. The western sun shone on said stings, reflecting off them and making them look like pure diamond. _

_ "People are gonna pay a fortune for these." A more than happy Fire baron claimed._

_ "People are also gonna wonder where we got them, including lawmen." A Cowboy, also known as Vin, said._

_ "Then we don't tell where we got 'em." The Head Cowboy, Phil, said nonchalantly while pulling off his devil mask __**(A/N: Like the one he wears on the live video of them playing Cowboys From Hell in Moscow for the Monsters of Rock tour) **__revealing a shaved head and a 5'o clock shadow._

___"We'll worry about that, later." The Baron spoke smoothly. "Let's get to town and make a load off of these."_

_**\M/\M/\M/\M/**_

___Devil's Shout of Groovetal was the most populated city in the land, with over 50 people. It was also the home to the most merchants. Everything from car parts to bass strings to animals were sold. Guitar strings were rare in these parts._

_ "How much you gonna give us, man?" Phil asked to a merchant._

_ The old merchant adjusted his eyepiece, then looked up. "Well, sonny, I can tell you it's worth far too much money for my blood. I'll give you what I have now, and you can come back later when I sell them."_

_ "That'll work." The Baron said," just be sure you sell them good."_

_ The merchant gave them their due, and they headed off to hop on their bikes. The sun was just setting._

_ Phil looked at the Baron, "Remember our deal? 50-50?"_

_ "Right." They split the profits and prepared to ride off, when Vin noticed something sparkling in The Baron's bike bag._

_ "What's that?" Vin asked, a little suspicious. The Baron looked at his bag._

_ "Uhh, it's nothing." The Baron said with panic in his voice. He looked at the other Fire Barons. "Let's go."_

_ But Phil, never being one to let things slip by, pulled out this object and revealed it to be a guitar string. Everyone stood at seeing this, except for Baron, who sat on his bike cursing himself for being so careless. You don't survive out here by being careless. If you're that unlucky, there'll be hell to pay._

_ "You fucking snake in the grass. You lyin' bastard." Phil spat, almost like snake himself._

_ "Oh, fuck off. You don't survive out here by being honest. You survive by being smart."_

_ "And you don't break the Highwayman's code. If you do, you get broken." Phil said as he pulled out his double barrel 12-guage shotgun. He flicked it in front of him, but as he flicked his wrist, something popped out of his sleeve. The Baron identified it as the money they earned from cashing in the strings. Lying was one thing, but hypocrisy was just plain wrong._

_ "You fucking hypocrite! You fucking bastard!" The Baron yelled, angry and relieved that he was in the clear about stealing the string. _

_ "Heh, ain't no rest for the wicked, I guess." A Fire Baron said._

_ Phil and the Baron ignored him and stared each other down. Phil prepared to fire his gun but the Baron, using fire, blasted it out of his hand. Phil then threw the first punch. Pretty soon they were both on the ground, punching and biting each other._

**(Present day)**

"That was a nasty fight." The Baron said, wrapping up his story. "He broke my nose and I gave him a concussion. We went our separate ways after that. They stayed behind while we left Groovetal, Eventually, we came here. The rest is history."

"No honor among thieves, huh?" Eddie said while chuckling.

"Guess not. From what I hear, they're still fucking around in Groovetal." He looked at Eddie, "So, what do you want with them?"

"They may be the only ones that can help us with this bat problem. Do you think they can?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, they are good with taming their animals. Almost as good as the Zaulia."

"Think you can convince them to give us a hand?"

"I can't promise you that, but I'll sure as hell give it a shot." The Baron said.

"All right." Eddie stood up. "Everyone get some rest. Tomorrow, we're heading for Groovetal."

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

**I couldn't have picked writing this at a better time. "Blazing Saddles" was on when I wrote that flashback. Huge inspiration. **

**Sorry for the late update, but like I said don't be surprised if I don't live up to release expectations. Be patient. I'm also sorry if the Cowboys appearance as a flashback disappointed you. They WILL appear in the next chapter for sure.**

**Oh, and for the Beautiful people thing: I MIGHT write another guest star Brutal Legend story like this, involving a certain controversial industrialist and a certain Zombie at war. We'll see. Until then, ain't no rest for the wicked, until we close our eyes for good….**


	5. …All together, RUN FOR COVER!”

**I just got an HD TV and surround sound speakers that plays the bass so loud, fat people jiggle when they walk by! The first game I tested was Brutal Legend. Needless to say, it was Rapture. My motivation to start this chapter sky rocketed. Whoa, yeah! Kickstart my motivation give it a start! **

**So… here's ch. 5, AKA the first REAL appearance of the Cowboys, along with a few other guest stars I'm sure you'll recognize. **

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

**Cowboys From Hell**

**Chapter 5**

** ….All together, RUN FOR COVER!" **

** (A/N: For an opening song to stimulate the area before us, the song is Rainbow In The Dark by Dio. Pray so that Ronnie James Dio, the most powerful voice in Metal, can get through his stomach cancer. Fight through the pain, Dio!)**

The Land of Metal is famous for its unpredictable weather. Rain was common, as common as meteor showers. The time between light and dark skies could never be charted because it never had an exact time. Besides, nights were usually as bright as daytime, due to the raging suns that refused to set. People went to sleep whenever the hell they felt like it.

This morning, though, the weather was calm. Early in the morning, mist covered the land giving it an ominous appearance. Mist was rare in these parts, and was believed by locals to be a foreshadowing of big things to come.

Perhaps they are right. On the edge of the crumbled down highway, Eddie stood, curious of the thought that this highway lead to other lands. What would the lands look like? Would they be like this? Guess he'll find out soon.

Lita slowly walked next to him, mindful of her footing on the road. She watched as Eddie tuned his guitar, a natural instinct for a Roadie.

"How are you gonna do it?" Lita asked, assuming Eddie knew what she was talking about.

"The same way I do everything…" Eddie put Clementine on his back. "…by playing Metal."

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

Eddie continued getting ready for his big solo. Meanwhile, almost all of Ironheade gathered to watch their hero perform. Being a part of the army that the man that singlehandedly freed the land of Metal was a huge honor enough, but watching him play was even better. It was nice to see him play without trying to kill anything.

People pulled out blankets for families to lie out on or for sweethearts to make out on. Grills were rolled out to cook ribs and Hot dogs (And if you could catch them, Razor Bats). T-shirts and other band merchandise are sold by people hoping to make a quick buck. People were having mosh pits even before the music played, for various reasons (Which usually involved a girl). Everyone else was screaming for Eddie. It was like Woodstock, only the wood was… Metal.

All of this on a rickety old highway on the verge of collapse, but they don't care, they just wanna have…. A festival!

Eddie's crue sat around their tour bus, drinking beer. Ophelia, Lita and Rima sat in front of the bus, talking girl stuff, which usually involved makeup and killing. The Killmaster and Mangus sat on top, enjoying their holiday in the sun talking guy stuff, which was just killing. The Baron and his mates sat on their bikes smoking (In every sense of the word).

"How do you keep your makeup like that in the swamp? It has to be hard with all that moisture." Ophelia asked the jungle warrior.

Rima turned and spoke, "I always found mud to be a useful ingredient. When it dries, it hardens the mix. Try it with your eyeliner." As she spoke, Ophelia noticed something: Rima had a very gentle voice and a sweet smile when she wasn't commanding or angry. Lita appeared to notice this as well, for she had a surprised look on her face.

"Huh. I'll try that." She sat back and looked at the portal of fire beside her.

"Enjoying yourself, Guardian?"

From inside the core of the planet, the Guardian of Metal and his wife could be seen sitting on the couch, enjoying the festival from a 2-way portal of fire.

"You damn right I am!" He said, sipping his beer.

"Oh, daddy." Sharon said as she cuddled up to him and laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm so glad you talked me into getting HD. The picture is perfect."

"Not as perfect as you, mama." The guardian smoothly said.

"Oh, you." They moved in to kiss.

"Still here." Ophelia quickly said.

"Oh." They quickly pulled away. "Sorry."

Ophelia smiled and leaned back.

"Eddie's gotta be nervous. Look at all this." Lita said.

"He's used to being behind the show, not BEING the show. He won't disappoint us. He's the best fucking guitarist out there." Ophelia's watch beeped.

"12 o'clock. It's time to Rock."

Immediately on cue, fog covered the stage, lasers and lights flickered and Eddie walked slowly on the stage.

"Thanks for coming everyone. I really appreciate this huge festival for a solo that's only 10 minutes long." That earned a chuckle from a couple people. "I'd like to thank Mangus for setting the stage. You're the best Engineer ever, man."

"I still don't know what an engineer is." He looked at Killmaster, who shrugged his shoulders.

"I'd also like to thank the Guardian of Metal for helping me trick out Clementine. Uhh... Killmaster, Rima, Lita, the Baron, and Ophelia. Oh, and all you dudes and dudettes loyal to Metal. You all rock!" He was clearly stalling. He put his hand on the strings.

"Any requests?"

"Just play the fucking thing!" Rima, of all people, yelled.

"Right." He prepared to play, when he uttered a few more words into the mic. "In memory of Lars Halford." He played like he never played before.

** (A/N: I cannot think of a song to compare it's epicness to. So think of Jimi Hendrix, Randy Rhoads, Jimmy Page, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteem, Eric Clapton, Buckethead, Slash, Angus Young, Kirk Hammet, Mick Mars, Herman Li and Dimebag Darrel all together playing Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry. I would kill for that.)**

Eddie's fingers felt like they were on fire as he played. They were moving so fast staring at them could give you a headache. That didn't stop the fans, though. They were cheering, headbanging and raising the Horns.

As Eddie played, a strange vibration could be felt on the bridge. Many people looked down to see cracks closing up, pebbles moving and grass growing around their feet. They looked ahead to see the bridge piecing together, pavement appearing from nothing linked the destroyed pieces of the road.

The Bridge was repairing itself.

It kept linking until it brushed past the fog to new lands, getting out of sight.

Eddie, paying attention to only his playing, kept shredding to seemingly no end. He did come to an end, though. He pulled the big finish and fell to his knees, Horns to the sky. He finally fell on his back, and fell asleep, snoring loudly. Simply put, he brought it on Home.

Eddie's crue made their way to the stage. Finally reaching it, they stood above him. Not saying a word, Killmaster and Baron picked him up and handed him to the crowd, who was dead silent. Lita walked to the microphone and spoke in a tearful and admiring voice.

"Carry this man to his bus. He has earned his rest." The crowd did so without saying a word. Eddie was carried slowly to his bus by the crowd. He himself didn't notice, for he was peacefully snoring and off in never never land. When he reached the bus they attempted to put him in, but forgot to open the door thus bumping his head. Eddie groaned in pain and annoyance in his sleep.

"Sorry" A headbanger said.

Finally they opened the door and laid him in the bus. Immediately after closing it, the crowd let out a roaring cheer.

Lita paid no attention to them and looked at her comrades and onto the newly made road.

"Now… on to Groovetal."

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

**(A/N: If I tested that right, you should be done with the first song by now. Next song is a song I've been waiting to use for a while: Run to the Hills by Iron Maiden. For the land that has a higher death toll than New York City: Groovetal.)**

Groovetal hadn't changed much since the last time the Baron was here. Still the same ol' shithole it was before. Dusty winds with the potential of becoming a sandstorm, the sands meeting the sky that created colors making the area look like a sepia tone movie come alive, rock formations that could be the hiding place of various bandits waiting to ambush a convoy, steal everything, kill the men, rape the women and enslave the children.

This place was the Hell's dangerous and disturbed little brother.

God, the Baron missed it.

Making their way off the highway and onto the dirt road, The Fire Barons were followed by Eddie and Ophelia in the Druid Plow and the Tour bus. They planned on leading them to the Rock of Ages, the largest rock formation in the shape of a double necked guitar, just outside of Devil's Shout. The Baron assumed the Cowboys would be there, that is… if they were still together. An unruly group of bandits like that usually don't stay together that long.

Everyone put it in park in front of the Rock. Eddie hopped out of his car and walked up to the Baron.

"You sure they're here?"

The Baron looked at him and had a face that said: "Don't worry about a fucking thing!"

"They'll be there. The hard part will be trying to get 'em to help us. Their bandits, not mercenaries."

"Do what you can. If you can't get them…" He smacked his palm with his fist, "… I'll make them."

"Right, we'll be back." Saying that, the Fire Barons rode to Devil's Shout.

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

The Fire Barons rode with pride and the intent to intimidate. Despite not being here for a number of years, they still had a reputation to uphold as one of the most notorious band of outlaws out there.

"Hey, Baron. Look." A fire baron pointed at a man that looked old as dust.

"Yeah, K.K.?"

"Ain't that the shopkeeper we sold our strings to?"

The Baron got a closer look at him, adjusting his leather police hat for shading his eyes from the sun.

"I'll be fucked, it is! What the Hell is holding that bag of bones together?" He hopped off his bike and walked towards him.

"Hey, old man. Remember me? The Baron with the guitar strings?"

The old shopkeeper spoke in a frail and struggling voice.

"Guitar strings? Naw, I don't got none of those. I'm still waiting for a shipment from these nice young men. If you see them, tell them I need them soon. You can't miss 'em. They look like… actually they look a bit like you fellars."He stopped sweeping his porch and walked inside his shop.

"Huh, what a waste of time." The Baron stated. A voice suddenly caught his ear.

"The really sad part is: He doesn't remember he retired 2 years ago." The Baron turned to see a well toned man dressed in typical cowboy outfit, save for a guitar on his back and a golden star on his chest reading "**Teddy Nugent, Sheriff**."

"Hmm… that is sad. I remember this old crone from 3 years back, and he was old as fuck then."

"Heh." He held out his hand and shook it with the Barons hand. "Names Teddy Nugent. I'm sheriff of this here town."

"I know. I read your badge." The stopped shaking.

"Right. Anything I can help you… gentlemen with?"

"We're looking for our partners in…" He took a look at the _sheriff_.

"…business. Their known as the Cowboys From Hell."

"Oh, them. Yeah, they're here." He looked away from the Baron, which caught his interest.

"Where are they?" He looked at the jail house. "I wouldn't be surprised if they're in the joint. I'll pay to get them out." The random act of kindness earned him a stare from his mates. Was he going soft on them? The real Baron would've destroyed the jailhouse to free them.

"No, they ain't in there… yet. They probably at the pub drinking, gambling and fucking. I'd try there."

"Right." He loaded back on his bike. "Thanks." Nugent tipped his hat and walked off, probably to keep this hellish town stable.

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

Around sunset and into darkness, The Baron and his mates made their way to the pub. They pushed the swinging door that lead to the pub. Inside they found total chaos in an artfully decorated bar. All became quiet after they stepped in and all eyes were on them. The Baron raised his hand saying to go on, and the wildness continued.

As they walked in, two men holding by the arms an obviously hammered man ran screaming towards the door preparing to throw him out, only to be block by the Fire Barons. They stopped looking at them.

"Don't let us keep you." That being said, they stepped aside and gestured towards the door the same way a gentleman would to a lady. The men continued screaming and running, running out the door and throwing the man into the dirt.

After that little event, they sat at the bar.

"Hey, Mick! Three whiskeys!" Without a need for manners, the bartender gave the outlaws 3 Jack Daniels. Ripping the cork off with their teeth, they toasted to health and wealth, clinking the bottles together and chugged it down.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" A fancy dressed showman yelled to quiet the bar. "Please join me in welcoming, all the way from La Grange, the Sharp-dressed Men!" He moved off the stage and was replaced with 3 rugged looking men with beards down to their waist, sunglasses showing off their ultra-coolness and pimped out guitars.

"Hey there, everyone." The lead bassist spoke with a leathery southern drawl. They were greeted with a round of applause. "We're the Sharp Dressed Men, and we're here to give you folks a hell of a good time." A louder applause was made as they started playing. **(A/N: You don't have to listen to this if you're still on your song. They're playing Tush. Lord knows every guy loves tush.)**

_"I've been up, I've been down._

_ Take my word. My way around!_

_ I ain't askin' for much!"_

The Baron sat back on his stool sipping his whiskey, listening to this damn good music.

"Fuck, I missed this life. Why did we leave it?"

One of the Barons, Glenn, wasn't paying attention. He was staring at a poker table with an all too familiar face.

"Hey Baron. They look familiar?" The Baron looked at the table and what he saw made him want to run the fuck out this place. Then he remembered the fact that he needed them: Phil and Dimes of the Cowboys From Hell.

"Oh, yeah. Now I remember." He took one last chug of his whiskey before he walked his own green mile.

_"I said, Lord, take me downtown,_

_ I'm just looking for some Tush."_

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

Eddie stood over the cliff side looking at Devil's Shout on the horizon. Nightfall was here and the Baron has yet to come back. Eddie was this close to driving down there and finding him. He was just about to move when he heard footsteps behind him. Two pairs to be exact. He turned around to see the Killmaster and Ophelia walking towards him. They stopped and stood beside him, sharing the view.

"He's takin' a hell of a long time." The Killmaster spoke.

"Yeah… think we should go look for him?" The young girl Ophelia asked.

"No." Eddie spoke with a sound similar to (but not exactly) wisdom. "Let's wait until tomorrow."

"Uhh… actually Eddie, that's what we wanted to see you for." As she said that, Killmaster pulled out a radio.

"What…?" Killmaster pressed a button. Static was heard until a female voice appeared. Eddie recognized it as one of the Zaulia.

"---calling Ironheade—bats are back!—swarms over Ironheade—we are—assistance—overrun—Please respond!" The voice became a little faint. "Hold the doors—no—shit!" The voice became loud again, this time with no static. "COME IN, IRONHEADE!" The voice was interrupted by screams of what Eddie recognized as headbangers, bouncers and Zaulia along with metal being scrapped on stone. Nothing but static played then finally, the transmission was cut to total silence.

Eddie, Ophelia and the Killmaster were dead silent. Killmaster shook his head in sorrow and guilt. Ophelia was struggling to fight back tears. She was always a tough girl to Ironheade. Why would she break down now? Eddie had a look of sorrow and finally anger on his face.

"This is a recording." Ophelia finally spoke. "Everyone on the bus heard it."

Eddie immediately knew what that meant, and was about to open his mouth when the Killmaster already spoke.

"Rima's not taking it well. Her warriors were like a family to her. Losing one was hard enough for her."

Eddie looked to the ground, then over the horizon to Devil's Shout.

"A real tear shed for Heavy Metal." Ophelia spoke glumly.

Eddie felt something in him not usually felt. He turned around and spoke.

"But for every drop of sorrow made, a sea of determination is right behind it."

Ophelia and Killmaster looked at Eddie, dumbstruck. Ophelia had only one thing on her mind.

"That sounds like something Lars would say." Ophelia remembered the brave warrior that led them through troubled times. The man that will always, along with Eddie, be remembered as the Savior of Metal. They couldn't disappoint him now.

They all turned towards the horizon. Eddie finally spoke.

"We'll give them until dawn, and then we go in… guns blazin'."

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

The chips were down and each Cowboy had a hand which they were sure will win them the bounty.

"You know, Phil, they say gamblin's for fools."

"Well, Dime, it's a good thing I don't wanna live forever!" Saying that, he slammed his hand down onto the table revealing 4 kings. "Bow down to the King!"

Dime had a true poker face on even after Phil was sure he'd won.

"Impressive." Phil smirked and prepared to collect his winnings, but Dime put his hand on the pile.

"Hold it, you cocky bastard."

"What? We're buds. We'll split it."

"I don't share your greed, 'cause the only card I need…." He stood up and slammed his hand on the table so loud, the bar became silent for one measly second and the Baron stopped in his tracks.

"…is the ACE OF SPADES!" He yelled to high heaven, raising the Horns in victory. The hand revealed 4 fucking Aces. Dime wasn't a man to play for the money; he played solely for the thrill of it all. Of course, the money was a nice bonus. "My Aces are high, and so is my bank account." He chuckled to himself.

Phil sat down in defeat, growling to himself.

"You know, you have the same face the Baron did when you found out about his little smuggling deal." Phil remembered that with vivid clarity. He still had a scar from that fight, both physically and mentally. He hated that guy. Still, he wondered where he was.

"Is that right?" The two gamblin' men turned to see the man they were just recollecting. He hadn't changed much, although they were willing to bet he was bald under that cap.

"Speak of the Devil." Phil muttered to himself. Dime didn't say anything, but looked with contempt at the biker.

"Phil. Dime. It's been too long."

"Not long enough." Dime said.

"You got some pretty big balls for showing your face around again." Phil sated with venom in his voice.

"I didn't even know he had any." Dime joked, earning a chuckle from his partner.

The Baron ignored that statement and remembered why he was here. His mates were right behind him; ready to hold him down should the Cowboys hit a nerve, which was likely going to happen.

"So why're you back? Here to insult us more? Hoping for another beating?"

The Baron was grinding his teeth. "I need a favor. Me and some friends need some help."

"Oh, why didn't you say so? What do ya need? Want your bottle filled? Maybe you'd like me to put a baseball card on the spokes of your wittle twicycle?" Phil spoke in a taunting baby voice.

That was the straw that broke the Hexagon's back. No one made fun of his bike and got away with it. The Baron in anger created a fireball and prepared to throw it at him. Phil, in the same speed pulled out his shotgun and aimed it at him. Dime pulled out his guitar and prepared to attack the hostile Baron. K.K. and Glenn struggled to hold back the baron. The bar went silent yet again, this time longer.

"What in the Sam Hill is going on here?" Everyone looked to see the sheriff, Teddy Nugent at the door.

Phil was the first to speak. "Nothin'. What makes you say that?"

"The fact that this bar was quiet for more than 4 seconds. You guys ain't causing trouble, ain't ya?"

"No." The Baron spoke, doing his best to curb his anger. He realized it was futile. He turned to his mates. "Come on, we're leaving."

"But, Baron, the bats—"

"We'll get Eddie down here. He'll deal with them. He's good at recruiting. He recruited us."

They walked off, loaded their bikes and rode out of town. The bar continued its usual shenanigans. Phil and Dime sat back down, and continued their game.

"You know…" A leathery voice behind them spoke. Dime looked up and Phil turned around to see Dusty Rhoads, the lead vocalist of the Sharp Dressed Men, taking his break. "…I don't nothin' about the life of a Highwayman, but I do know that there's supposed to be some code or somethin'. If you fellars were really partners, you supposed to honor that code." He turned around to play some more tunes.

Phil was for whatever reason struck by this. Dime seemed to notice this.

"What's up?"

"Go get Vin and Rex. We're goin' on a little road trip."

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

Dawn has arrived as the Fire Barons rode back to the Rock of Ages. They were noticed by Eddie and the others.

"Well, it's about fuckin' time." Eddie said. "I was about to go down there myself."

"You may have to. I couldn't get them. They're still a little sore from that little "incident."

"Damn." He turned to his car. "I'll be back."

He was just about to start the car when he and everyone else heard a rumble in the distance. The rumble of 4 motorcycles with 4 Cowboys From Hell.

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

**I got good news, bad news and more good news.**

**The good news is I'm actually going to try working on another fan fic for another category. Either Pirates of the Caribbean or Mirror's Edge. (POTC seems more likely due to the fact that it's been airing nonstop on USA. USA… Characters Welcome.)**

**The bad news is that this story is going to go on a short hiatus. I love writing this story, I really do. I sort of rushed in, only focusing on the characters and the big picture. I didn't come up with details for the plot, such as the actual thing the Cowboys can do to help. I'm deeply sorry, but that don't mean it's over. The hiatus will be short, and the Cowboys will be back. Keep this story in your alert list, keep hope, and I'll come back, guns blazin'.**

**And the more good news? According to the mayor of my town (Erie PA), March 8 (which is tomorrow) is ****Mötley Crüe** **Day. If you are a ****Mötley Crüe** **fan, like me, celebrate. I'm gonna celebrate by listening to the entire Dr. Feelgood album. Fuck yes.**

**So, until then, in the words of The Terminator: "I'll Be Back…"**

"…**with weapons."**


	6. “We’re taking Over This Town”

**BACK IN BLACK, I HATE TO SAY IT!**

**Okay, I lied. It wasn't much of a hiatus. I still don't know what to do, but I'll do what I've doing for the past 5 chapters: Make it up as I go along.**

**I guess I just wanted to get a Mötorheadstart on my other story: La Isla de Perdidas Mentes, a Pirate of the Caribbean fanfic. (Read it sometime.) I'll balance between the 2 stories.**

**So, here it is.**

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

**Cowboys From Hell**

**Chapter 6**

"**We're taking Over This Town."**

**(A/N: For a totally epic entrance of the Cowboys From Hell, the song is… Cowboys From Hell by Pantera. Picture an awesome biker-style montage, showing their awesome features.)**

The totally bad-ass bikers known as the Cowboys From Hell rode to Ironheade's position leaving behind them a trail of dust. Their bikes were so loud; the Rock of Ages itself could crumble to the sound. The bikes themselves were very stylized. They were brownish in color and without the large exhaust pipes the Fire Baron's bikes had. What stood out most about them were the horse head skeletons on the front, in a way symbolizing the modern-day cowboys. When they hit the brakes right in front of them, a large cloud of dust covered the area. By the time the dust cleared, the lead Cowboy was already on his feet.

"All right, we're here." He looked towards the Baron. "Happy?"

The Baron smirked with victory. Lita and Mangus walked up next to Eddie and Ophelia, curious of the noise. They noticed a burly bunch of bikers standing in front of them.

"That was fast." Lita noted.

"And no one's bleeding." Mangus added.

"Yep, I'm that good." Eddie gloated while standing with pride.

Ignoring him, Lita walked up to the Cowboys.

"So does this mean you're gonna help us?"

"We'll help as soon as you tell us what we're gonna burn bike fuel for." Phil stated.

Eddie stepped up.

"Here's the situation: These…bat-like things swarmed over our land and are killing everyone. A good friend of mine told me they came from your land. We figured that people from that place would know how to deal with them."

Phil, along with the others, seemed a bit offended by this.

"We're mercenaries, not exterminators! We don't kill animals unless it's for profit." He pulled out his shotgun and brushed the barrel. "Plus, it's a waste of ammo."

"The Baron said you were good with taming your animals."

"Did he now?" Spoke up a Cowboy not yet named. The Baron only smirked in a taunting way.

"Yeah." The Cowboys looked like they weren't gonna be moved. "I mean, I understand if you don't wanna do this. We won't force you until after you say no."

Phil turned around and the bikers huddled. After about 5 seconds, they faced Eddie.

"What's the pay?"

"Pay?" Lita questioned.

"Yeah, the pay. Like I said: We're mercenaries, not exterminators."

Eddie thought for a bit.

"Beer?"

"Try again."

"Uhh… Fire Tributes?"

"What?" Guess you can only get those from the Gods.

"What do you want?"

Phil took a flirty look towards Lita. Lita raised her eyes and blushed.

"He meant currency-wise." She quickly said, turning her face away.

"Your loss." Phil smoothly said. "I guess beer will have to do, since I don't know what the fuck Fire Tributes are."

"Good choice. We have a tree that makes an unlimited supply of the stuff." A realization came to Eddie. ""That is, if the Bats didn't tear it up."

"A beer… tree?" Dime questioned, it seemed too good to be true.

"A _sacred _beer tree." Eddie noted.

"All the beer you can get hammered to." Mangus side noted.

The Cowboys pondered a bit, until Phil broke the silence.

"Deal." Eddie and Phil then shook hands. Phil spoke again.

"I suppose since we're doing business, a formal introduction is in order." The rest of the Cowboys stood up and walked up behind Phil.

"We're the Cowboys From Hell." He gestured to a man that looked slightly bigger than him. He wore a cowboy hat and had a handlebar mustache.

"This guy's Vin, my second in command."

"Yo." He simply said.

Phil then gestured to the smallest among the group. His hair was brown, compared to the other's black hair.

"This is Rex, our bassist."

"Hey." He said while nodding his head...

Phil lastly pointed to a big man with a long beard that was red at the end. He had a guitar on his back that was similar to Eddie's.

"And this is Dimes, our guitarist."

Dimes said nothing, but instead looked at them with a stare of total bad-assness.

"And I'm Phil, the leader."

"Not by vote, though." Rex brought up, earning a stare from Phil that said: "Dude, if you bring that up again, I will beat your ass all night and part of tomorrow."

Eddie spoke to introduce himself and his friends.

"Name's Eddie Riggs." He pointed to Lita, "That's Lita." Then Mangus, "And that Mangus, our engineer."

"What's an engineer?" Rex whispered to Dimes. He just shrugged.

"Inside the bus you'll meet Killmaster and Rima, a couple people in our army. And there's Ophelia." He got a look of anger out of the blue. "And she is _mine!_ Do you hear me? MINE!"

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

They rode down the highway with Eddie and the Cowboys in front, the tour bus in the middle, and the Fire Barons taking up the rear. **(A/N: No joke about Rob Halford being homosexual intended)**

"So your name's Eddie Riggs, hmm?" Vin spoke to the Roadie when he drove his bike to the side of the Druid Plow.

"Yeah, you've heard of me?"

"You're pretty damn famous around Devil's Shout, for killin' that bastard Lionwhyte. You're a legend, man."

"Well, I'm not the only one who—"

"Let me guess, you're talking about Lars Halford?"

"You know him?"

"Yeah, I knew him when he was a kid. I first met him when his father hired us to gather some strings for him. His father was a fighter in the first Black Tear Rebellion. God that was a long time ago. I remember him standing next to his father all brave-like, with his sister hiding behind him, afraid of us. I remember he had these huge dreams of freeing the Land the Metal. He said he would not give up until everyone was free. I both admired and pitied him for having such bold dreams. I didn't think he would achieve them, but here we are ridin' wild and free. Whatever happened to him?"

Eddie showed sadness on his face, and Vin instantly knew what this meant.

"Oh… sorry. Did he go a hero?"

Eddie's smile came back. "You damn right he did."

After that confersation, the rest of the trip was silent. They all rode into the Land of Metal, and the way they were riding… the bats were as good as fucked.

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

**Sorry for the shortness, but I created the chapter for re-assurance. Expect the next one in a bit.**

**Sad news, there's only gonna be a few more chapters before the end. But I may create some "Deleted scenes" when I'm done with it.**

**Oh, for you romance freaks, I'm still blurry about the Phil/Lita thing. We'll see…**

**Until then… so you're the keeper of the sacred Beer Tree?**

**Dream Job…**


	7. Welcome to the Jungle

**I just got myself Pantera's Cowboys From Hell CD, along with Iron Maiden's Number of the Beast and Motley Crue's Shout at the Devil. My collection of CD's is getting larger step by step. Plus, I have over 1000 hits to my story. I'm gonna celebrate.**

**Unfortunately, this is the second to last chapter of Cowboys From Hell. I planned on making this a huge blow-out last chapter, but I decided it would be best if I divided it into two parts.**

**EDIT:**

**As I write this paragraph right now, I had just learned that my cousin, Kara Pollard, whom I was so close to in childhood, died no more than 2 hours ago. My whole family is very grieve-stricken, as am I. I want to honor her memory, but I really know no way to pay tribute to her in a manner of writing. Plus I don't really remember what she was into.**

**So this chapter is not just dedicated to Dimebag Darrel, but my cousin Kara Pollard. May they both Rest in Peace.**

**Enjoy.**

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

**Cowboys From Hell**

**Ch. 7**

**Welcome to the Jungle**

Upon reaching the mainland, Ironheade's first priority was not to drive to Bladehenge (It would surely be infest with bats by now), this time they would meet in front of the Cleave of the Impaler. According to scout reports, the bats shouldn't be there. They relocated to the Jungle.

The Cowboys, Fire Barons and Eddie lead down the road to the Impaler. The massive anvil on top of the door had scratches, due to the bats. Even though the Anvil was a constant reminder of Lyonwhite's reign in blood, it sucked that it was defiled by the bats, because it still looked pretty bad-ass.

Every vehicle was put in "Park" in front of the Impaler. Eddie hopped out of his Deuce and slowly walked up to the front door. He was followed by the Baron and Phil.

"So what's the plan?" Phil asked.

"Burn 'em?" The Baron asked.

"I'm pretty sure that won't—" Eddie stated, only to be interrupted by Phil.

"He's on the right track. Razor Bats are attracted to Fire, 'cause they feed on it. It's how they fly with those heavy blade wings." That made a hell of a lot of sense.

"So, what? We light a giant bug-zapper and toast them?"

"That may work on the worker bats, but not the Queen."

"Queen?" Eddie asked, feeling a stab of fear.

"Yep, the Queen. A horde this big is likely to have one, and I'm gonna bet she's in the Jungle. She may like fire, but she needs a cool and humid environment to lay her eggs."

"Eggs?" More fear.

"Yep, she can lay up to 2000. Plus, they can hatch in up to a half a day." Fear, fear, fear.

"Damn, we gotta kill her fast." Eddie spoke with, you guess it, fear in his voice.

"And how do we do that?" The Baron asked annoyed.

"This way: The Queen and her workers love fire, but are weak against it. It hurts like a motherfucker to them." He turned to the Baron. "So… yes, we burn 'em."

"Hot damn!" The Baron said with glee.

"We're gonna need a pretty big flame." He rubbed his chin. "And I think I know how we can get it"

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

"So, If I barbeque the Queen," The ever taunted but clearly talented Kage the Kannonier clarified, "You'll get the Razor Girls to stop teasing me?"

"Yep, maybe we can even get them to start liking you." Eddie stated.

As if on cue, two Razor girls step up to Kage, one on each of his freakishly large arms.

"Will you please do it?"

"We love a man that's good with his cannon."

Kage smiled a boyish grin and giggled in a high pitched voice.

"You got a deal!" He walked away, as did Eddie. Eddie walked to a group consisting of Lita, Ophelia, Mangus, Phil and the Baron.

"Only one thing left to figure out: Which one of us is gonna lead the Queen to the cannon?" Phil noted.

"I'll do it," Baron spoke up, "since I can create fire. It'll follow me."

"No." Phil rebutted. "I'll do it, just give me a cocktail."

"Like hell, you will." Baron argued

"Well, you sure as hell ain't." Phil argued back.

They continued arguing. Ophelia whispered to Eddie.

"You know, if you think about it, It's almost as if they don't want to send each other off to death."

"I'll do it." A familiar voice spoke up. Everyone turned to see that the voice came from Dimes.

"Really?" Eddie questioned.

"Sure, why not?" Everyone had a look of relief on their face, except for Phil, who had nothing but worry on his features.

"Whoa, think about this, man. You'll be ridin' off to a possible death alone—"

Eddie interrupted him with a grin.

"Who said anything about going alone?"

Everyone's eyes were on Eddie.

"Someone's gotta be the torchbearer."

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

** (A/N: For some good chase music, the song is Runnin' Wild by Airbourne. Maybe I can help this newer band get some fans.)**

Eddie and Dimes mounted on the custom built bike. Dimes kicked back the kickstand and kicked down the gear. The bike roared with the savageness of a Metal Beast.

"Prep the cannon." Eddie told Kage. "And don't fire until your see your reflection on her wings."

"That sounds pretty bad-ass." Whispered Mangus to Killmaster.

Phil and Ophelia walked up to the bike. Phil raised the Horns, and was mimicked by Eddie and Dimes.

"Ride on." Phil said in a deep, awesome voice.

"…All the way to the top." Dimes said with the same tone, and rode off.

They maneuvered through the Cleave, and after that reached Lyonwhite's palace. The place was still a wreck from the Bleeding Death invasion, and it wasn't getting any cleaner. Eddie seriously considered cleaning it up. It wasn't a castle of oppression anymore. It was but a huge mess. They could completely redo it and turn it into a memorial for Lars' takeover of the place.

Eddie will have to do that later, though.

"Where do we look for the Queen, anyway?" Dimes broke the silence first.

"Phil said she needs a dark humid environment, right?" Eddie recalled. "There's a Jungle not too far from here."

They drove out the back door and onto the man-made bridge. Dimes had to admit it felt good driving on a smooth road. It felt much better on the ass. They reached the Jungle. Eddie felt relief until he and Dimes looked up. They saw what looked like up to a thousand bats hanging on the trees.

Fortunately, they were asleep.

"Damn…" Dimes whispered.

"Probably not a good idea to wake 'em." Eddie obviously noted.

"Agreed."

They continued riding and kept a lookout for the Queen. But instead Eddie noticed one particular bat with a wild hair style. He motioned for Dimes to stop the bike.

"What're you doing?"

"I think I know that bat." He walked up to the tree it was perched on. He noticed the bat's family was there, too. What happened to the cave they lived at?

"Hey, bat." Eddie whispered loudly. No response. Eddie picked up a rock and chucked it at the bat. He woke with a start.

"OW! Who's the fucker that…" He noticed Eddie. "Oh, it's you."

"Quiet! I don't wanna wake the bats." The bat (Who we'll now call Dadbat for lack of confusion) flew down to Eddie quietly.

"But you have no problem with waking me?"

"Exactly."

A groan was then heard. Eddie and Dadbat looked up to see the other 3 bats stirring.

"…Or my family?" He turned to Eddie. "You bastard."

"Sorry."

"What's going on, honey?" Mombat asked.

"Who're you talking to, daddy?" The "Sonbat" said.

"Can I suck his blood, daddy?" said the "Daughterbat."

Eddie went wide-eyed.

"She's going through the change. We had 'the talk' yesterday."

"Riiiiight."

Eddie got a mix of nervousness and awkwardness on his face.

"So, uhhh… You know where the Queen is?"

"The Queen Razor Bat? Yeah, she's over at that temple."

"Good, thanks." He turned to leave, but turned again.

"Why are you here?"

"Family reunion."

Silence.

"Okay." He turned again and walked away. Dadbat whispered "Shithead" and went back up to the tree to sleep.

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

"Finally, what were you doing?" An irritated Dimes wondered.

"The Queen's at the Zaulia Temple. It's over there."

Dimes had a hard time driving through the muck, but reached the temple gates. They both looked up and saw a creature that stuck utter terror into both their hearts sitting on the top of the temple.

The Queen was a spitting image of a regular bat, but it had 4 chrome bladed wings arranged in an X formation instead of 2. She was blood red in color and unlike other bats, had limbs with claws almost as sharp as the wings. Her face was freakiest of all: It was like a Noh mask, complete with horns, piercing eyes and a devilish grin with abnormally long fangs.

"Holy shit…" Dimes muttered.

"God…"

"So how do you wanna wake her up?"

Eddie pulled out Clementine.

"This way." Upon saying that, he twanged the strings as hard as he could. The resulting sound created a spiral of flames that burned the superbeast. She awoke and, upon seeing her attacker, unleashed a roar that shook the ground.

"Drive, drive, DRIVE!" Eddie urged the Biker. He listened and the engine roared fire as they drove off with the Queen on their tail.

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

**I'll leave it at there. The next and final chapter will be posted soon.**

**This story may be in memory of Dimebag Darrel, but this chapter is in memory of Kara Pollard, my cousin.**

**That being said, the original name of this chapter was "God Kill the Queen," a play on the Sex Pistol's God Save the Queen, but I felt it was not appropriate at this time. **

**R.I.P Kara, you will be missed, along with Dimebag.**


	8. Ridin' off into the Sunset

**My sincerest apologies for making you all wait. My Muse has been terribly unkind to me. Plus, my Microsoft Word's been a bitch to me. Now I'm typing this on wordpad. So, you may notice spelling and grammar mistakes.**

**Well, school's out... forever? God, I wish. I'm gonna celebrate by writing the final chapter of Cowboys From Hell.**

**Thanks to everyone who read my story and made it the most reviewed in the Brutal Legend catergory (Excluding crossovers). And thanks to Another Dead Hero, who reviewed all my chapters. You rock, man!**

**Enjoy.**

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

Cowboys From Hell

Ch. 8

Ridin' off into the Sunset...

Rolling on down the line was Dime and Eddie, zooming at high speeds trying (Hopefully not in vain) to outride the very pissed off Razor bat queen. When they at last reached the bridge, it was like a drag race. From behind, they could hear her chrome wings scraping against the bridge supports.

"Damn, she's fast!" Yelled Dimes, who didn't take his eyes off the road.

Eddie pulled out his radio and turned it on, leaving it off so a sudden radio call wouldn't wake the bats.

"Lita, the Queen's on our tail! Is the mortar cannon ready?"

Some static came first, then faintly came Lita's voice, which sounded urgent.

"Thank Ormagöden! Eddie, we have a problem. Some bats ambushed us. Everyone's fine, but the cannon was destroyed."

"What?" Yelled both Eddie and Dimes.

"You'll have to find another way to kill the queen. Good luck!" The radio turned off.

"Damn! Now what?" Yelled Dimes, as they just entered Lyonwhite's palace.

"Lemme think." Eddie at first thought to drive through the Land of the Ice and Snow to Death's Clutch, but the bats could tolerate the cold.

Damn, he had nothing!

Wait...

Those bats need fire to work their wings and fly. Eddie remembered his early Roadie days when he accidently drove the Kabbage Boy tour bus into a swamp. The engine over heated and the engine shut down. Steam went everywhere. Perhaps, the same thing could happen to the Queen. Perfect!

Except... he had no massive body of water to drive the queen into. Perhaps they could destroy the bridge to drive her into the ocean.

"Dimes! Drive to the highway I made!"

"What for?"

"Trust me, I have a plan."

They passed Lyonwhite's palace and reach the Cleave of the Impaler. The Queen was far too big to fit in the Cleave. They were safe... for now.

They found the rest of Ironheade also in the Cleave. Dimes slowed the bike to a stop.

Eddie hopped off the bike and ran up to his friends.

"What happened? Is everyone all right?"

Ophelia spoke up.

"Everyone's fine. The bats surprised us. Noone was hurt, but the cannon was destroyed. We had to retreat in here. We don't know where the bats are, 'cause they didn't follow us."

"Me and Dimes have a plan. We're gonna drive to the bridge and try to drive the queen into the water."

"That's suicide!" Yelled Ophelia. "How are you going to get out of the way of the Queen?"

"It'll be dangerous, but we'll get through." He leaned over to kiss Ophelia and hopped back on the bike.

"Careful Dimes." Said Vin. "You come back now. The group won't be the same without you."

"You got it, bro." They rode off.

Phil and the Baron stood side by side.

"I ain't gonna sit here and do nothing."

"Me neither. K.K., Glenn, come on. We're taking a ride."

The Fire Barons rode off, with the Cowboys From Hell right behind them.

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

**(A/N: For the last song, I cannot think of nothing more suitable than Walk by Pantera.)**

Eddie and Dimes rode down the highway, with the Queen hot on their tail. The highway was repaired, so it was much easier to ride on. They drove to the outer limits.

Right now, Eddie's plan was a work in progress.

The highway seemed endless, and the Queen was slowly moving in.

"So, what's the plan again?" Asked Dimes.

"Drive this bitch into the water." Said Eddie, rather sure of himself.

"And how do we do that?"

"Still thinking. Just keep driving."

He did so. A few feet down, they saw a sharp turn. The best and possibly only time to drag this Queen down.

"Right there!"

"How do we get here to stop fly-" Almost on cue, engines behind them were heard. Eddie turned to see the Cowboys and Fire Barons ride to both sides of the Queen.

"We got your back, Eddie!" Yelled the Baron.

"Bring her down like the cart full of guitar strings, boys!"

They prepared their methods of destructions and aimed at the Queen's wings. The Fire Barons lit their fireballs while the Cowboys cocked their shotguns.

"FIRE!" Yelled both Phil and the Baron. Everyone shot to maim and the Queen staggered until she finally fell to the road and slid down it.

The turn was coming up fast and the Queen slid behind them, razor wings tearing the street's pavement. Eddie and Dimes were literally caught between the Devil and the deep blue sea.

"Damn! How are we gonna get out of this?"

"I have an idea." He pulled out his axe, held on the pipe and jumped to the street, tipping the bike over. Eddie's axe screeched as it ripped the pavement, and the bike came to a slowdown.

The Queen did not. Everything was in almost Matrix-style motion as the bike slid under the Queen's razor sharp wing. Dimes was well out of the way, but Eddie's face was inches away from the blade. Fortunatley, the only thing that Eddie lost was a single hair. The Queen slid until it crashed through the wall of the turn and was sent diving into the ocean. A couple bubbles surfaced, then all was silent.

Dimes staggered up, and walked over to help Eddie up.

"Where I'm from," said Eddie, "we call that a powerslide."

Dimes only laughed.

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

The manly men rode back to Ironheade. Before any pleasantries could be exchanged, everyone looked up to see a XXXL group of Razor Bats above them.

Everyone prepared for battle, but only one bat flew down and in front of them. Still flapping, it spoke.

"Thanks for getting rid of her. She was a real bitch."

"You're welcome." Eddie awkwardly said. "Where're you gonna go now?"

"Back to Groovetal. Now that she's gone we can live in peace, and finally have that party we've wanted to have for so long." He turned around and flew away.

"Thanks again!" It yelled. "And sorry for killing all your people and drinking all your liqour!"

They all flew out of sight and out of mind.

**\M/\M/\M/\M/ **

The sun was setting over the Land of Metal, and on the newly repaired highway stood Eddie, the Fire Barons and the Cowboys From Hell.

"Sure you don't wanna join Ironheade? We could always use guys like you."

The Cowboys prepped for the road trip. Phil stood over his bike, tieing the many kegs of beer to it.

"Nah, we work alone. But, you guys ever need us, you know where we are." He looked at the Baron. "And seeing you, that won't take awhile."

The Baron grumbled, but smirked as he and his mates rode back to their home in Death's Clutch. The Cowboys mounted their own bikes. Everyone bid Eddie a horned salute.

"Y'all take care now." Said Phil.

They rode off, into the sunset. Eddie waved farewell, but noticed something shiny on the ground. It was a small circular piece of metal. He picked it up and read it. The words read brought a tear to Eddie's eye:

_**In Memory of "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott**_

_**1966 - 2004**_

**\M/\M/\M/\M/**

**...And that's it.**

**Thank you everyone for reading my story. I had a hell of a good time writing it, and I hope you enjoyed reading.**

**This story is in memory of not just Dimebag, but recently fallen metal warriors which include Ronnie James Dio, Heretic drummer Cristóbal Martínez (Who died just today) and even Slipknot bassist Paul Grey.**

**And my dear cousin, Kara Pollard.**

**Thanks again for reading, and until we meet again...**

**RE-**

**-SPECT!**

**WALK!**


End file.
